The Argentine men's national hockey team defeated Pakistan 3-2 in the match they played today at the Polideportivo Provincial de Santiago del Estero, for the second date of the FIH Pro League 2025/2026. According to the Argentine News Agency, for the 'Lions', the forward Tomás Domene, the midfielder Nicolás Della Torre, and the attacker Maico Casella scored, while for the rival, Muhammad Ammad and Waleed Rana scored. With the victory, the Argentine team is the leader of the group with five points, having defeated the Netherlands in the penalty shootout in the first round. In the next round, Argentina will face the Dutch team again next Saturday, December 13th at 19:00 (Argentine time). Argentina had a good start in the first quarter, with its first dangerous chance at five minutes of the match, through a cross from the left that was deflected by the forward Bautista Capurro from a position close to the rival's goal, who could not get past the rival goalkeeper. At nine minutes, a good through pass allowed the attacker Tomás Domene to take a reverse hit, which also hit the goalkeeper Abdullah Khan. The first goal of the game came at three minutes of the second quarter, in the play after a short corner, when a cross from the left reached Domene, who scored under the left post of the rival goalkeeper. At five minutes of the third quarter, in a counter-attack, a good push cross from the left was deflected by Muhammad Ammad at a meter from the goal to equalize. The albiceleste team went back ahead at nine minutes of the second half, through a short corner played for the midfielder Nicolás Della Torre, whose dragged shot went in low and through the middle. The formula was repeated three minutes later, this time with the forward Maico Casella as the executor of the short corner, who looked for the left post of Khan and put it 3-1. With time of the penultimate quarter, Waleed Rana took advantage of the rebound of a short corner in defense that the Lions could not clear beyond the dotted line and was able to score. Pakistan had its best performance of the game in the last quarter, although the Argentine defense prevailed and was able to take the victory in regulation time, adding three points that leave the Lions in first place.
